Cowpie II
by onelildustbunni
Summary: Sequel to Cowpie. Space adventures...in...space... New X-men AU: Helix : Hellion/X23 :: Julian Keller / Laura Kinney
1. free space

**Title: **Cowpie II  
**Pairing: **Helix-- Hellion/X-23 (Julian Keller/Laura Kinney)  
**Universe: **Totally AU  
**Note:** Go on, go read the first Cowpie so I don't needs to write  
directions on how to understand this all over again ;-)

* * *

**(Volume: 2 Chapter: 1)**

 **Chapter 1: free space **

* * *

Julian opened his eyes and yawned. "No rooster!" he exclaimed happily. Laura started; she'd still been asleep, her head against his chest. He felt  
like an asshole, not something he wasn't used to.

"Sorry." He kissed her shoulder. "Mmm. Go back to sleep."

"…" Laura drew her eyebrows together. "Do…do you…" she seemed to have trouble, connecting words. He watched her, his hands running up and  
down her arms. "Do you…not…have…animals to feed?" Laura finally strung together. It was odd; she'd spoken so easily, after re-gaining her voice,  
and now she was having trouble.

"No. Animals…the animals didn't make it, Laura."

She scrambled away from him, her eyes wide. He felt a sudden twinge of guilt—he _knew_ how close she was to animals. Her wolf pack. Her rabbit. Her  
cows and her horses…all gone.

"Julian—"

He reached out and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "We'll figure out something, okay? _Your_ animals are fine…there was plenty of grass…they were  
free. I think they were happy."

Laura felt horrified. This was—this was almost as bad as seeing her mother die. Just yesterday. She closed her eyes, the tears starting up again.

Julian felt bad. "I'll figure something out, okay?"

Laura took a shuddering breath. "Okay."

He noticed her locket lying on the table, and picked it up. This was the necklace Kimura had torn from her neck on that horrible day.

"My mother…gave it to…me," Laura said hesitantly. She didn't like to volunteer information.

Julian noted that a small link had broken off; he concentrated on it for a moment, then handed it back to her, as good as new. "You should wear it, then," he said.

"…thank you," Laura said, unfastening the clasp and putting it on.

**…**

_**Mister Keller, please report to my office. Bring...your companion.**_

Julian looked up, like he usually did when Frost broadcasted into his head; then he looked at Laura, who was sitting on his bed with wide eyes, looking rumpled  
in just his shirt and her necklace. He frowned. "I guess you'd better wear what you had on when we got here," he said. "Frost wants to see us."

Laura crept off the bed and picked up her gear from the floor. She was in constant hunting mode now; there was barely a sound to her movements. It was rather  
like he had added a very large cat to his apartment. A sexy cat. He hadn't done anything with her yet, as she was too overwhelmed, too uncomfortable with her  
surroundings to relax. It was making it hard for _him_ to relax, though.

He turned around and folded his arms, trying to give her privacy, but he realized his closet door was a mirror—so of course he watched, unable to stop himself. Her  
eyes met his in the glass as she swept her hair out of the way to tie the strap around her back, and he flushed slightly. She missed nothing; her eyes were like a hawk's.

"Hrrum." Laura touched his shoulder to indicate she was ready.

"Laura…"

She bowed her head. "I…I am not…used…to words. This is…this is too much…for me…at once."

"I'm sorry." He kissed the top of her hair, then reached for the keypad on the door. Laura followed him out of the room.

**…**

Emma Frost gazed over the edge of her large metal desk, her expression cold. She did look less furious than the day before—but not by much. Her lips were pursed,  
and she eyed Laura's outfit with obvious scrutiny.

Laura looked down.

"She will have to be issued a _proper _uniform. And a suit. If she is to stay." Frost said, her eyebrows arched. "I won't have her walking down hallways in _that_,  
distracting the men on this ship. Does she speak English? I cannot place her nationality."

"Yes," Julian said. "She's American. She had throat injuries for many years and couldn't speak. She can now, but she's still learning."

Frost stared at Laura. "Do you understand what I am saying?"

The girl nodded.

"You will say 'Yes, ma'am', or 'no, ma'am' when asked a question. You will look straight at me. You will not slump in your chair. Do you understand?"

Laura pulled herself up a bit more. "Y…yes, ma'am."

"Better." Frost still didn't look happy. "What is your name?"

"L-Laura Kinney," Laura said. "Ma'am."

Frost nodded shortly to show she'd understood. "_When _is she from?" she asked Julian.

"She's a Quaker, _ma'am_," Julian said, stressing the title. "From the 17th century."

Frost arched her eyebrows. "She has cultivation skills, then."

Julian's eyes widened. "Ma'am—I know what you're thinking. Please let her be on my unit—I'm the only thing she knows here. I promise I'll train her myself."

Emma arched her eyebrows at him, then looked at Laura again.

"What are your mutant abilities? I'm assuming you _are,_ at least, a mutant."

Laura's lips parted. She was confused.

"She doesn't know the whole mutant thing, ma'am. She's like Wolverine. Enhanced healing, senses…and she has bone claws. Two in each hand, one in each foot.  
She's an instinctual fighter." Julian added the last part as a selling point; he knew Frost was thinking of putting her on the Colonization Unit. Which would mean  
he'd pretty much never see Laura again.

"Hmm." Emma considered this. "I will have to decide. She will be assigned a uniform, a suit, and a room; the rest will follow analysis tests."

Julian sat up. "Ma'am—please let her stay with me."

"Out of the question, Keller. She would be a distraction."

"With all due respect—what I do in my off time is nobody's concern. I promise you she would not be a distraction to me during my shifts."

Frost arched her eyebrows. "Keller, you know that only married couples are allowed lodgings together. This is General Magneto's code, not mine."

"We are. Married, that is," Julian said in relief. He was suddenly glad for his terrible mistake of earlier.

Frost's eyebrows shot up. "You have a certificate to prove this, then?"

Julian nodded.

"Bring it on the next summons. If it can be proved to me…then I might allow it. If not…the girl will be assigned quarters. As you know, all petitions must be taken to General Magneto."

**…**

"_Where_ is the fucking certificate?!" Julian growled, throwing a load of laundry on the bed. "There is no way I left it behind! Just no way!"

Laura watched him silently.

"Do you have it, Laura?"

She shook her head. " 'Twas…in the…knapsack."

"Son of a bitch!" Julian sat down on the bed. "Oh, this is bad, very, very bad. Now we have to go all the way to _Magneto_…it's hard to get time to see him….have to get ship  
leave…and schedule an appointment to see him…and it costs a lot…and there's the chance he thinks you're not a suitable match…" he rubbed his neck.

"We don't have Ministers anymore," he added.

Laura paled. "H-how…how do you talk…to God, then?"

"God doesn't exist here, Laura. At least not your God." Julian smiled grimly. "People here worship a deity called the Phoenix."

Laura backed away, bewildered. No God? _This_ was worse than no animals. This was worse than the death of her mother, the loss of her home. No God here. Everything  
she believed in was gone. "Mmm-MMM!" She ran to the door and slapped her palms on it when it didn't open.

"No! Calm down!" Julian jumped off the bed and moved towards her slowly. "Laura…whatever _you_ want to believe is still with you. I didn't mean it that way. In Public, you  
just have to be careful about what you say…but you don't _have_ to believe in it, okay?"

Laura looked at him warily. "Okay."

"It's just like you didn't have to believe you were a witch—you just had to be careful not to let the others think you were one."

Laura nodded. "Okay," she said again.

**…**

"Julian!" Sofia flagged him down as he was waiting in line at the cafeteria, holding a tray with two empty bowls. Seeing as Laura wasn't an official citizen of the republic,  
she didn't get meal tickets yet; therefore, he'd had to buy extra tickets through Santo. Santo _always_ knew where to get things, for some reason. He was friends with  
Toad, one of Magneto's longest associates.

"Oh, hey," he said, grinning. He'd been distracted by the menu and hadn't seen her coming. Usually he noticed right away when Sofia got within visual or audio range;  
sometimes he could just _sense_ when she was nearby.

"I have not seen you for a long time," she said. "Do you want to have lunch with me? I missed you." She gave him that 100-watt smile that always made his knees a bit  
weak—the one that made him nervous. He swallowed.

"Uh…" his eyes drifted over to his table, where Laura was sitting in the outfit he'd also gotten through Santo. A bib overall skirt, a thin white shirt, and long, striped arm  
warmers—as well as some basic undergarments. None of it fit perfectly, but at least it was made of organic material—cotton was rare and expensive these days, and the  
uniforms took too long. Dr. McCoy made them specially in the lab by synthesizing materials from chemicals—some sort of metal alloys softened to fabric form. Something like that.

Laura looked wary. Her eyes were too big in her face, almost sunken; she was losing the healthy, wild glow she'd had before the whole witch hunt incident—her mother  
being shot with a hunting rifle—and his bringing her here. He wondered idly—sometimes, at night—whether he should have left her there. Would she be happier?

Probably not.

"You want to join us? I haven't introduced you to Laura yet," he offered.

Sofia glanced at the table. "Is that the girl from a few days ago? The one that was looking out the window?"

"The very one," Julian answered.

Silence for a moment. Sofia smiled suddenly. "I would love to. I will go and say hi." She turned away, and Julian wondered if this was a good idea. But it was Sof—what  
could go wrong? Everyone loved her.

**…**

Sofia made her way to the picnic-style table, still smiling. She didn't have any malicious intent—she was really a good natured young woman. But she _was_ curious about  
Laura—she'd disapproved of her outfit, and had been hesitant to ask about her connection to Julian. As far as Sofia was concerned—even though she did not want to  
declare it out loud—Julian was her boyfriend, her partner; she didn't understand what had suddenly changed, his disappearing for a long period of time—a whole two  
weeks—then walking in with this foreign girl—and _then_ being practically nonexistent on the ship afterwards.

"Hello," Sofia said to the dark haired girl, waving in a friendly manner. "I hear you are new to the ship. I would like to say welcome!"

"…" the girl eyed her warily. "Hello."

Sofia sat down. "Julian invited me to lunch. I hope you do not mind."

Laura tilted her head. "I do as he wishes."

Sofia was taken back. The girl said it in such a matter-of-fact-way, like she was his slave, or something. What _was_ she to Julian?

"Here you go." He was back; he set a bowl of some kind of mix-matched vegetables and roots in front of Laura. She blinked.

"It's stir fry, and tubers. It's really good," he told her encouragingly. Sofia raised an eyebrow—Julian's treatment of the girl was equally strange. She _really_ needed to talk to  
him—and to talk to Cessily—and find out what was going on.

"Oh, sorry," Julian said, straightening. "This is Laura Kinney, Sof. Laura, this is Sofia Mantega, captain of—HEY!"

In lightning speed, Laura had popped her claws, leapt onto the bench and grabbed Sofia by the collar of her uniform. All the action in the cafeteria stopped to stare.

"_You_ are Sofia," she hissed. "You are the one whose name he speaks at night. You are a terrible woman in the eyes of God."

"—!—" Sofia stared at Laura. "What do _you_ know about God?!" she burst. Sofia herself was a devout Catholic, although she had to keep this hidden under the new order.

"More than you," Laura said, her claws close to her face. "You are a Jezebel, a Delilah. You know nothing about virtue and—" Julian grabbed her wrist. "_Laura,_" he said  
sternly, his eyes glowing. "Put them away."

She blinked, but the claws slid in. "Sit down," he ordered, and she did, quite meekly, but she continued to glare at Sofia.

"Laura, never do that again. First off—you are not to threaten anyone in this ship or outside with bodily harm. Second—what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"This is Sofia," Laura said contemptuously. "You told me about her yourself."

Julian flushed suddenly—he _did_ dimly remember such an incident. He'd been drunk. He'd done a lot of other stupid stuff that night too. How stupid of him not to realize  
Laura's Quaker ideals were not about to evaporate.

Sofia stood up. "I had better go. It was nice to see you, Julian."

"No—wait—" Julian stepped after her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Sof, I—"

"I do not need to hear it," Sofia said, blinking hard. "I have heard enough for one day, Julian. Please leave me alone for a little while."

He sighed and let her go.

"What are you looking at?" he bellowed a second later, noting that he was the highest ranking person in the cafeteria. He had a habit for taking stress out  
on his insubordinates. Everyone else hurriedly turned back to eating.

**…**

"Laura, you can't do that again, okay?" They were in the hallway, walking towards his quarters.

She tugged on a striped arm warmer. "Okay."

"No, do you understand me? What I said about Sofia…I didn't _mean_ it, okay?"

"Okay." Laura looked confused. "Why did…why did you say it then?"

"I was drunk." Julian decided she didn't know what that meant. "When you drink a lot of alcohol…what we had…regular people—I mean, people without systems like _yours_—get  
funny. I wasn't thinking clearly. I was just saying every little thought in my head out loud."

Laura stopped. "Oh," she said. He'd said something else, too. Something she'd thought he'd meant…but…but then he _hadn't_ meant that, either. It all made sense now—why he'd  
been so upset after—why he hadn't touched her since—he hadn't meant what he'd said, about loving her. She kept her expression neutral and followed him down the hall.


	2. rooster

**A/N: **XD thanks for the kind reviews.

* * *

**(Volume: 2 Chapter: 2)**

** Chapter 2: rooster **

* * *

"Did you have success with the certificate?" Emma Frost asked them a few days later. A pile of folded gear was now on Laura's lap; some tickets, a card and a small portfolio as well.

"No," Julian said, leaning back in his chair. "It got left behind. You could always read my _mind_ and see that I'm not lying-_ma'am."  
_

"General Magneto can't read minds, so no, I shall do no such thing," Frost said. "Should he ask me for proof, it would put me in a difficult position. Something I would like to avoid, at  
all costs." She held up another envelope-a small one, containing a keycard. "This is the access to your room, Laura. Room X-23. Keller can show you to your new quarters."

"_Ma'am-_" Julian's eyes widened.

"Dismissed, Keller," Frost said, waving her hand. "Dismissed, Kinney."

**...  
**

"This doesn't have to mean anything," Julian said, panicking. "You can leave stuff there, still sleep with me on our off nights. I'll request the time off right away-we better do it ASAP-I'll  
find out which ship Magneto's at tomorrow-"

Laura looked down. "Okay," she said. They turned to corner into the X corridor. X-20, X-21, X-22, X-23. They stopped, and Julian showed her how to open the door. He held it open  
with his hand as she examined her new surroundings.

"I have to go. My shift starts in ten minutes. I'll...I'll come see you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Laura said. The door closed, and she was all alone.

She sat on the bed for a while, staring out the window at the twinkling stars and thinking over her life before she'd met Julian. It _had_ been complicated-in its own way-but wholesome,  
and simple, compared to this one. And everything _was_ what it seemed. People did not say one thing and do another. And her mother was there to guide her.

Her mother.

She burst into fresh tears. Every so often, she had a thought that distracted her from the pain of her mother's death-but then it just led back to the fact, making her grief stronger. Laura  
felt guilty-she knew her mother would not approve.

Sarah had been an incredibly strong pioneering woman. Her own mother had died when _she_ was Laura's age. In the courthouse, after hearing the verdict of the witch trial, Laura's father  
had told her that Sarah had been made of steel, only breaking down once in tears. Laura had witnessed this strength her whole life, as her mother coped on with the loss of James.

She wouldn't be proud now, seeing Laura a quivering, blubbering mess that could barely draw breath. Laura inhaled sharply , wiped her eyes, then went in to the bathroom, deciding to  
brush her teeth like Julian had shown her. It seemed to be the thing to do after crying, for some odd reason she could not fathom. Did releasing water from the eyes dirty the teeth?

**...  
**

She wandered out of her room a little later, the card tucked into the breast pocket of her overall skirt. She liked the outfit-it had many practical pockets, and it was far more mobile  
than her stiff, somber dress of before. Laura was all for practicality, and utterly unconcerned with her appearance (hence the barely-there hunting outfit, which, to her, simply  
minimized wind resistance, snagging on tree branches, and offered support for her bosom). Her mother had allowed her to dress as she pleased when doing her own things-  
as long as she was alone.

She entered a large room with sofas and tables-and enormous windows-one spanned an entire two walls and a corner-the one she'd seen before, when Julian had first taken her  
to his room. She spent a few moments gawking out at the stars. They looked so much closer, and they went on forever. They were so _lonely-_they made Laura sad to look at them.

She remembered something her father had told her when she was four years old-and her favorite calf had died. He'd told her that Clover had gone to live in the night sky, with the  
stars (her mother hadn't heard this idea, and probably would not have endorsed it, being a devoted Quaker). Laura had always secretly believed her father was right. Was her mother  
out there, now? So very close and yet so very far away? She touched the glass almost reverently. This, too, was special-she hadn't grown up with glass windows, but the Churches  
she'd attended had such elements. It was fitting-solemn-a glass window that gazed out to the afterlife. Laura made a soft noise.

"HOLY!" someone squeaked. A female. Laura looked to the side; she'd known the girl was there, but had not expected her to speak. She had bright red hair, and skin like polished  
metal. It reminded her of her father's steel sword.

The girl sat up. "I'm sorry-I didn't see you come in...I would've said hi. So, hi!"

"Hi," Laura said, studying her carefully. She was very interesting to look at.

"I'm Cessily," the girl said. "Cessily Kincaid. Mercury. You're new, aren't you?"

Laura nodded. "I am Laura Kinney," she said after a moment, sensing the girl wanted to know. Cessily. What an odd name. She had only heard the male variant, Cecil, before.

"Kinney..." Cessily's eyes widened. "Oh, _you're_ the girl that Julian brought back!"

Laura nodded again.

"Oh man! Is it true that you're really from the 1600's or something?"

Laura drew her eyebrows together. "What?" she asked.

"The rumor is that you're from the past," Cessily said. "Like, the 17th Century. Quakers and all that. Is it true?"

Laura remembered what she'd deduced, before. About Julian being from some sort of future. And now she'd followed him.

"What...what year of Our Lord is it?" she asked slowly.

"2014," Cessily said. "Spaceships, laser battles and space cannibals, oh my! Like Star Trek or something. Oh-they didn't have that then, did they?" The girl grinned  
sheepishly. Even though what she said was confusing, Laura found herself liking this girl. She seemed to be very friendly.

"Star...Trek" Laura asked, moving towards the girl.

"It's basically a TV show about what you see here. Oh, crap-TV. Ohmigod! You have _so_ much to learn, Laura!" She wrinkled her nose at the girl's outfit.

"Did Julian get that for you?" she asked.

"Yes. How did you...know?" Laura asked.

"It shows. No offense, but absolutely nothing matches...and it's all too big for you." Cessily held up her finger. "Oh wow! You're about my size. COME ON!" She bounced  
off the couch, grabbed Laura's wrist and hauled her down the hallway towards the elevators. Laura followed, curious.

**...  
**

"_There. _That's _much_ better, don't you think?" Cessily asked as Laura examined her new clothing in a device Cessily called a _mirror_. It showed her reflection, something  
Laura had only seen in still water before, as her mother believed in modesty and had no objects of vanity.

"..." Laura peered at herself. The colors matched-much better than the other outfit-but it was very low cut. It offered more support, thanks to the strap-like device  
Cessily had called a _bra_, but it had less pockets than the overalls.

However, it would not do to stand out too much-and Cessily was watching her eagerly. She was being kind, giving these things to Laura. And her mother had told  
her to always thank kind people. She nodded curtly to show her approval.

"Thank you," she said, turning back to Cessily.

"No problem. You can keep the other set as like back-up or whatever. So...I'm dying to know...why did Julian bring you with him?! He hasn't told me anything!"

Laura shifted. How could she answer this, when she didn't know herself anymore? "I was...in a bad...situation," she said.

"Oh," Cessily said. Then... "Makes sense. I didn't think he was going to give up Sofia just like that. He's been dating her forever-since he was sixteen...8 years now...I've  
been waiting for him to like pop the question to her or something!"

Laura froze. Eight years? He hadn't mentioned _that_ to her, ever.

"Oh," she said.

"Oh, no, Laura-" Cessily realized the girl looked disappointed. Or shocked. "I'm sorry-do you like him or something? I promise I won't tell."

Laura paused. "I like Julian. He saved my life," she said.

"No..._like_ him, like him," Cessily said.

"_Like_ him, like him?" Laura tilted her head.

"Romantically."

Laura understood now. "Oh," she said. "I-"

_"Mercury to Boiler 1. Mercury to Boiler 1._"

"Sorry, Laura, gotta go," Cessily said, standing up from the bed she'd been sitting on. "You should totally sit with me at lunch, it'll be fun! I can show you all  
the cool stuff on the ship."

Laura followed her out of her room.

"Go back to the lounge...there's probably other people there, now," Cessily said, smiling. "Get out and meet people!"

Laura watched her go.

**...  
**

Julian stopped in his room to wash the soot off his face. He hated Waste duty-even the Captains had to do it-but it was so _dirty._ There was lots of soot and  
charcoal and other wastes that had to be eliminated from the ship; anyone with energy based powers had to lend a helping hand. Surge had been there,  
wearing her eye patch and glaring at him with her good eye-something was quite obviously on her mind-and so had Cyclops, Havoc and a few others. It  
was simply part of ship maintenance.

He made his way to Laura's room-X-23-and knocked on the door. He wanted to see her before bed, as tired as he was, and tell her that he'd put in his request.  
He was tempted to throw the policy to hell and sleep with her anyways, but it could result in a lot of trouble, his disobeying orders.

Sex was strictly regulated on the ships-the personal could not share rooms without a certificate from Magneto (except for their off days, which rarely coincided  
with the person of their interest), and even then it was very strongly moderated. Everyone on board was injected with strong doses of hormonal birth control-  
Magneto had declared that this was no world to bring children into. There was much resentment over this-the initial policy had forbidden sex altogether, but  
there had been ship wide riots over this, and eventually it had been changed to the current rule (which was hardly better and more of a psychological trick  
to make them believe it was possible).

Julian frowned-Laura was not answering. Where could she be? He decided to try the lounge room. He was surprised, he hadn't thought she would leave  
the safety and privacy of her room.

**...  
**

Julian stared at the scene before him from the wide doorway of the lounge room. Laura was sitting, on a couch-wearing an entirely different suit from the  
one he'd found for her-and Joshua Foley was leaning towards her and smiling at her in a way that Julian didn't like at all.

He and Foley had always been on good terms-they'd been friends, as teens, before the squads had been formed. They had never had bad interactions, but  
Julian suddenly felt a surge of annoyance at Foley. What did he think he was doing? Julian moved towards the couch and cleared his throat loudly.

Laura turned her head and looked up. She'd heard him enter the room, but had been concentrating on something Josh was asking her. She wasn't sure what it  
was-he used a lot of words that were unfamiliar to her, like everyone here.

"Hey, Keller," Josh said to Julian.

"Foley," Julian replied. "I see you've met Laura." His voice was a little sharp, as if he wasn't pleased. Laura frowned. She thought he'd be happy that she explored  
the ship, making an effort to fit into his world like he'd done in hers.

"Yeah...she's a peach. Where'd you find her?"

Julian tried to smooth his hackles, standing behind the couch. "She's from the past. Remember that Nimrod thing?"

"No way. They let her come with you?" Josh evaluated her-Julian knew, _knew_ what he was thinking. Smell girl-Laurie-had been killed-four years ago, when the Skrulls  
had first begun attacking the earth.

"Mhmm." Julian reached over and put his hand on Laura's shoulder, somewhat possessively. Like saying _mine._ "I've got to talk to you," he said to her. "My room?" Foley  
watched him, smiling slightly. He saw all the little signs Julian was trying to put up-but they didn't _mean_ anything until the girl said it herself.

Besides--Julian had Sofia.

**...  
**

"You shouldn't wander around the ship like that, Laura," Julian said in the corridor. He sounded...angry. But not. It was hard for her to put her finger on it; his behavior  
made her think of the time a wild rooster had approached the chickens on her farm, and their barn rooster had gotten agitated and chased it away, clucking angrily.

She'd thought Josh was interesting; she loved looking at his golden skin and white hair. He reminded her of beings from the Bible-all he was missing was a pair of wings  
to be an angel. He'd said he was a healer, whatever that meant.

Laura was silent. Julian stopped at his room and opened it, indicating for her to follow him. She complied, and he pointed at the bed. She sat down obediently.

"I put in the request," he said, his tone normal again. "For time off. So we can go see Magneto-and get that certificate. Then things can go back to normal. Well, as  
normal as they ever _will_ be for us." He grinned at her, and Laura studied his face. He had a nice smile-she'd always liked it, it was easy and relaxed. His eyes squinted  
and he formed several dimples that she liked to touch.

"How do you like it here?" he asked suddenly.

Laura started, unprepared for such a question. Her mother had told her to always be polite and grateful...but also never to tell falsehoods. How could she describe her  
feelings towards this horrible, sterile, frightening place without hurting his feelings?

"It's...very big," she said finally.

He flopped down on the bed beside her, then ran his fingers across her lower back. She looked over her shoulder at him, uncertain.

"Julian..." she said, then stopped herself. How could she ask him what she wanted to know?

"Yeah?" he asked. He sounded content, playful. He was watching her figure, his hand now on the curve of her behind, his thumb rotating in small circles.

"What...what about...Sofia?" she asked hesitantly.

Julian stopped the movement of his hand and watched her. "What do you want to know about her?" he answered, with a question.

Laura looked down.

"I met a person you...you mentioned before. Cessily."

Julian nodded. "She's one of my best friends," he commented.

Laura looked back at him. "She said...that you had been...involved with Sofia."

"I told you that," Julian answered calmly.

"For eight years."

Now he looked a little startled. "Uh-yeah-I was. But I told you too-she didn't treat me well. There's only so much a man can handle before he strays."

"Strays?"

Julian pulled her down, over him, and did what he had done with her before-in the barn, on the farm, in the town-but not here-he pressed his lips  
against hers slowly, making her lose track of her thought.

"Like that," he said when they parted. He was grinning again.

"Okay," Laura said, still not entirely clear on the situation. She noted that he'd avoided telling her whether or not he'd terminated his relationship with  
Sofia-and he also hadn't told her how he felt for _her_, but she was too shy to ask; her upbringing had taught her to never question a man's judgment.

He patted her behind. "We better get you to your room before I'm tempted to keep you here all night," he said.


	3. evaluated

**A/N: **OMG! Another Cowpie update! HOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! x-D  
This chapter builds nicely on a few coming things, and gives a bit more of a sense of what the X-men are doing now, and what's happened.

* * *

**(Volume: 2 Chapter: 3)**

 **Chapter 3: ­evaluated **

* * *

"…" Julian had just entered the dining room—where he'd had Laura agree to meet him for lunch on his shift break—and saw her.

She had kept her word.

What he _hadn't_ expected was the group of men sitting at her table—Foley, Santo, Quire and Ford—and several others craning their necks to look at her.

He stomped up. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked them, taking advantage of the fact that he was in uniform. "This is _my_ table!"

Quire and Ford stood up immediately and backed away, and most of the heads straightened. Santo and Foley smiled innocently at him.

"We didn't think you'd mind," Santo said.

Julian folded his arms. "Out," he said, brooding. Santo looked at Foley, grinning, then fished himself out of the table. "Jeez, someone's got  
PMS here…oddly enough, it's not the girl," Foley said.

"_Out,"_ Julian said again, his voice firmer.

Foley rolled his eyes at Laura then copied Santo and trudged back towards his own table. Julian sat down on the bench and glared at  
Laura. "What the—why were you talking to them?!"

"I…I did not realize that…I was not allowed to," Laura said. He was acting like the rooster again—_jealous._ That's what her mother had said, smiling  
at the silly little creature walking around with its feathers ruffled up.

"You're allowed to…I just…" Julian looked away, his cheeks still flushed slightly.

"I…I am sorry," Laura offered.

"Never mind. I'm going to get us food." He stood up, then walked away, his back stiff. Laura sighed and leaned her cheek on her hand. Not only was  
her situation difficult to comprehend—she'd lost her mother—she'd lost her animals—she'd been thrown forwards in _time_, Lord be praised—but now  
she couldn't understand Julian's behavior. He would not clarify their position, yet he reacted like _this_ to her meeting people. No—not other people—men,  
in particular. Had she reacted like this to Sofia? Laura pondered.

No. Her reaction had been based on Sofia's apparent treatment of Julian; it had not been because she disliked the girl (she didn't even know her),  
and it had not been for fear of…competition.

She was still pondering this when Julian put a plate in front of her—no meat, but a flat, round bread-looking thing, and vegetables, with a paste. There  
was also cheese—or what she thought was cheese, until she sniffed it.

"It's made of beans," Julian said.

Laura stared at it. "But…"

"It's processed," he explained. "Try it, it's pretty good. I mean…secretly _everyone_ is dying for a steak, whether they're big meat eaters or not…but this  
isn't half bad. It could be a lot worse."

She stared at him, then nibbled a corner. It _was_ good; she could taste protein.

Julian watched her eat for a few moments, thinking. He had to get that certificate _soon_. He didn't know how much longer he could tolerate her being  
followed by a trail of would-be admirers; human behavior had in a sense devolved when confined to a small space for a long period of time (even  
though they were surrounded by technology).

Everyone had been on this ship for about three years now, with about five new people added. It made sense that (with about three-quarters of the  
population being male, and completely oppressed at that) a new girl's arrival would cause much interest.

Laura wasn't helping by being all wide-eyed innocence, either. The only way this would end was if he made it flat-out clear that she was his—like his  
room was his, or his table was his. He was used to laying claims now, even though it seemed harsh—he didn't consider Laura to be a possession,  
but he was going to have to act like it to keep them out of trouble. There were parts he hadn't told Laura about yet—some unbelievably horrible  
parts that he had narrowly avoided at times, till he had learned (partially with Ms. Frost's help) to fight his way.

That was the practical, more pressing side to it. Another part of him was just plain jealous—a little bit, he admitted to himself—to see Laura smiling at other people.

"So…you know what to do for your test tomorrow, right?" Julian asked. Dr. McCoy and Cyclops were going to run a series of analysis tests on the girl;  
testing her physiology, metabolism, and reaction times. They would record all necessary medical history; then Laura would be thrown into a  
holographic simulation, to see how she defended herself.

Laura nodded. "It will be…strange," she said, for lack of a better word. She was glad that he'd taken the time to warn her about what would be  
involved; she might have gone into a state of shock if she was suddenly pushed into a room full of images that weren't real but could hurt her.

She might not understand how they worked, but at least now she knew to expect it.

"It wasn't easy for me, either," Julian said. He'd been 19 when the tests had been run on him; and he'd even had the advantage of three years of  
combat training—and he'd _still _been overwhelmed.

Laura nodded and tried to pick up her wrap by the sides (with the pile of vegetables in the middle).

"What are you doing?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I…I am trying to eat it," she said.

"Nonono. Roll it up." He reached over to her plate and folded the sides in, then proceeded to rotate it several times so it became a wrap full of vegetables  
and paste. "There. Works a bit better." He grinned at her, and she leaned over and touched one of his dimples.

Several people in the cafeteria glanced, but he was fine with it. _Good._ He kissed her hand and then continued eating.

**…  
**

"Ah, hello Miss Kinney," Dr. McCoy said, smiling in a friendly manner at the girl sitting on the chair in the waiting corridor, beside a Squad Captain. Keller. He  
adjusted his glasses, remembering that she had been retrieved along with him in the Nimrod incident. Secretly, Dr. McCoy was surprised that the boy had  
returned—he'd had a chance to remain on Earth, pre-hell. Who wouldn't be tempted to disobey Magneto's laws?

Such opinions were dangerous, though.

"Hi," Laura said, looking up at the doctor with wide eyes. He was—she didn't know where to start. He was _blue._ He was _furry. _He was shaped like a big _  
feline_ on his hind legs—biped, like a human. He was enormous.

Dr. McCoy chuckled. "How refreshing to see someone startled by my appearance," he commented. "I haven't had that for about…oh, let's see…four years  
now? _Everyone_ in this colony knows me quite well."

Julian leaned back in the chair beside her. Dr. McCoy frowned for a moment—he'd seen the boy change much—_too _much—in the eight years he'd known him.  
When he'd first arrived at the institute, he'd been fresh-faced, eager, relaxed—and vulnerable. He was still eager—but now there was a hard edge to him,  
a sense of occlusion, something that Hank felt wasn't right. All the children (were they really children anymore?) had it—they'd seen so much—but Julian especially.

He had a sense that it had something to do with the problems he'd encountered—and the close tutelage of Emma Frost, who seemed to have a heart of  
ice. Or diamond, Hank wasn't sure, but it was very cold.

"…" Laura smiled back at the doctor, liking him. Hank didn't know her back story, but _she_ certainly wasn't closed off. Her eyes were all curiosity; very _alive._ This, too, was refreshing.

"Let's get this going," Julian said. Dr. McCoy led the way into the examination room, and Laura followed. She paused at the door, seeing that Julian was  
still in the chair. "Julian?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

"You'll be fine," he said.

**…  
**

The examination had not been too difficult once Laura grew used to it (she was quite alarmed at first that it required the removal of her clothes, but a  
paper gown had been provided for modesty). Dr. McCoy drew samples of her blood, swabbed the inside of her cheek with a cotton-wrapped stick for  
saliva, depressed her tongue with a wooden paddle while peering into her mouth with a bright light contained in a metal rod (Laura was quite  
fascinated by this). He then used it to peer into her eyes (which hurt slightly as it was bright).

The doctor then wrapped a canvas band around her arm and began squeezing a round ball on the end of a smooth rope. The band constricted  
around her arm, and Laura was momentarily alarmed, until he reassured her.

And _then_ he ushered her to stand in an enormous round cylinder, with a depression cut so that it was hollow. He slid it shut behind her, and she  
heard loud noises. She couldn't help the panic in her chest, although Julian had warned her about this part. She pressed her fingers against the  
panel, hoping it would be over soon. Apparently, the…thing…was recording information about her. DNA, Julian had said. Whatever that was.

"Fascinating," Dr. McCoy said when she stepped out again. He was staring at a large picture that was moving, and showing the insides of Laura's  
body—along with a lot of other images that she didn't understand. She looked up at the picture solemnly and saw her claws, in her forearms.

She touched the area, curious.

"It appears that you have a healing factor, Miss Kinney," Dr. McCoy said. "A very, very strong healing factor. I would say it's your primary mutation.  
Your claws are quite obviously your secondary mutation. And—this is astounding—the patterns indicate you should have several _tertiary_  
mutations. Is this correct?"

Laura blinked.

"Do you have more abilities, Laura? Other than your bone claws, and your ability to regenerate damaged tissues very quickly?"

"I…I don't know," she said, confused. "My mother thought I had a very good sense of hearing."

Dr. McCoy looked thoughtful. "Yes, yes. Your sense of smell? Your eyesight, perhaps? How about your taste buds?" He shook his head. "I will have  
to spend more time analyzing the information—but right now, I am going to run a series of sensory tests on you. Then we shall commence with  
the combat evaluation."

"Okay," Laura said, not understanding a word he had just said.

**…  
**

"…" Laura started as the room around her began to shift. Her heart pounded—her visual and audile perceptions told her she was surrounded by  
threatening-looking creatures, but a _snff_ revealed only a strange scent—like she had smelled on the air after thunderstorms.

_Electricity._ But she didn't know that word.

"AHH!" she squeaked as one of the things attacked her, shooting a bright white light at her. She bent away just in time, and it whizzed through her sleeve,  
leaving a smoking hole in the fabric. She paused to examine it, and was swept off her feet by a big arm.

"Laura! Fight! Claws out!" Julian's voice echoed in the room, and she looked up, puzzled. But…he wasn't _here._ Oh. There was another glass-window up at  
the top, and he and Dr. McCoy were watching her.

Laura made fists, flexing the small muscles in her forearms. _Snnnkt. _Her claws emerged, shiny and wet with the mucus that cushioned them in between her  
bones. And blood, small thin threads of blood, more around her knuckles. Her body was well-evolved to carry the claws, so they would not irritate her  
during daily life.

"AIIIIEEEEEEE!" She screamed as the _thing_ swept her off her feet; instinct however, responded with defense and her foot swung up—claw out—to  
meet the creature's head.

_Shlunk. _Simulated blood showered the air, droplets landing on her gown. The creature released her and she landed in a crouch.

"Remarkable—her defense is reflexive," Dr. McCoy murmured.

"Laura! Attack them!" Julian had pushed the doctor aside again and yelled into the microphone, afraid. She'd stopped, just _sitting_ there, while the  
creatures circled, eyeing their prey.

Quick, like a snake, in one smooth movement she swept her foot in an arc around her body, leaning her weight back on her hands; the claw sliced  
cleanly through the legs of three of her assailants, leaving only a fourth that was still in midair (having leapt just before her action).

Julian touched the glass, worried as the attacker began to fall on her, but Laura was ready; _shlunk! _again as she laid herself on the ground and her  
arms flew up in a blur of motion to stick her claws deep into the creature's chest (they stuck out the other side).

The creatures disappeared, signifying the end of the simulation.

"Impressive. You said she has never received _any_ sort of combat training?" Dr. McCoy look skeptical.

"Not that I know of," Julian said, watching Laura get up. "She did, uh, run around with a pack of wolves during her, uh, girl times." That seemed like  
an insufficient explanation of Laura's menstrual behavior, but he really didn't want to elaborate.

"Fascinating." Dr. McCoy seemed to be thinking about something, but he didn't make Julian privy to his thoughts. "Well, the tests are complete, except  
for the more thorough cataloging of her DNA. You may want to show her the way out."

Laura had gotten to her feet, and was looking about her in wonder, her head swiveling like it was loosely attached.

Julian let himself down to the combat room and approached her, holding her regular outfit in his arms. "You're all done. You did really well…where did you  
learn to fight like that, Laura? I thought you were a Quaker." He seemed amused.

"I am," she said in confusion.

He reached out and brushed hair behind her ear, noting that she was quite disheveled from the test. "Do all Quakers know how to do that?"

Laura frowned. "I do not know," she said, reminding him of the fact that she and her mother had led isolated lives.

"Here. Go back to the changing room and put these back on…then we'll go unwind." Julian was thinking of sneaking her into his quarters, for a shower.  
Maybe more, since she seemed to be better adjusted. He was dying to.

"Unwind what?" she asked, her eyes full of puzzlement. "Wool? But I thought you do not have animals here."

"We don't. I meant unwind…as in relax. Do something fun." He put his hand on her shoulder and steered her out of the combat room.

**…  
**

Laura stopped at the corner.

"This is the way to my quarters," she said, resisting Julian's pull on her hand (which he'd taken earlier, in the rec room, seeing a multitude of eyes  
turn her way as she paused to gawk out of the window).

"And we go _this_ way to mine," he said, tugging.

"I am not allowed to be in your quarters," she said, her eyes wide.

"Shh." He put a finger on her lips. "We're going to do it anyways, and you're not going to tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay," Laura said, confused.

This time she followed him when he tugged on her hand, and did not question him again in the hallway. When the door closed behind them, however,  
she tilted her head. "Why do you want me here?"

Julian raised his eyebrows. "Here's good as anywhere…just thought you'd like the privacy," he said teasingly.

Laura frowned, probably full of more questions. She was almost a giant question herself. Julian put his hands on her shoulders again and steered her  
into his bathroom, anticipating what was to come. Something he hadn't experienced for…he didn't know how long the actual amount of time had been,  
due to the different dates. Technically, it had been centuries.

**…**

_Bzzt. Bzzt._

Julian froze and opened his eyes, having shut them against the stream of water. "Grrr…" he said, looking at his bathroom door and wondering if perhaps  
it would be believable, missing a doorbuzz while having a shower. Probably not. They were designed to be heard over _anything. _

Laura blinked. She was leaning against the wall, her skin flushed from the water and her hair in her eyes. With some soap; he'd been washing her hair.

Julian put a finger to her lips, gave her an apologetic look and shut off the water. If anyone caught Laura in here, they would be in trouble—both of them.

Directly violating Magneto's code. He passed her a towel, took one himself and dried off quickly (the buzzer going again meanwhile), then wrapped it  
around his waist and headed for the door.

He pressed his palm to the panel and it opened to reveal Sofia.

"There you are! I was beginning to worry—you were not on duty, and you were not in the recreation room—where else could you _be?_" she said.

"I was taking a shower," he said.

"I see that." Sofia eyed him. "Can I come in?"

"Uh—" Julian was about to say _now's a bad time,_ but Sofia entered anyways, used to him always having a moment for her. "We need to talk,  
Julian. We need to clear the air between us."

Julian prayed that Laura would have sense enough to remain quiet.

"I wasn't aware that there _was_ something between us," he said pointedly, folding his arms.

Sofia sighed. "Of course there is, Julian. Do not pretend there is not. We even…"

Julian bristled. Laura was _right there._ And Sofia was bringing up _that night_—the one that had been the straw that broke the camel's back. The one  
were she gave in—got him addicted—then refused to acknowledge him.

"A couple of years ago, yeah," he said.

"I know that you are angry—" Sofia sat on his bed. "I thought that you understood my reasons. I am…ashamed. I am no longer pure. It was a sin,  
and for a long time I was not honest with myself, Julian. I am only now beginning to come to terms with it."

"So I'm a bad thing?" he asked, scowling.

"No." Sofia bit her lip. "I had to understand that it was _I_ who was weak. Now that I understand that, perhaps I can be more open with you."

Julian raised his eyebrow. Here it was—after eight years—Sofia sitting on his bed and telling him that she was ready to have a relationship. And there was  
Laura dripping soap and water in the shower, probably freezing her ass off.

"You need to go," he said. "I'm not—"

His words were cut off; muffled, and there was a silence in the room. Laura peered carefully around the doorframe, curious; her slanted green eyes focused  
on the two other room occupants tangled around each other. She didn't know much about relations, but they seemed to be doing what Julian and her had  
done several times in the past. She didn't know the word for it, having been unable to question him about it during that time.

Laura held the doorframe lightly and watched, uncertain of what to make of the interaction. Julian's eyes suddenly flicked up and widened as they caught her.

She moved back into the bathroom unit, careful to be quiet.

A wet noise. "No—Sofia—look, this isn't going to work."

Silence.

"You said you loved me," Sofia said slowly. "Is that not so? Did you lie to me?"

"No…." Julian paused. "I meant what I said—then. Things have changed."

"Is it _her?_" Sofia's voice was full of accusation. "That new girl? You are seeing her, are you not?"

"Yes." Julian folded his arms. "You had a long time to make up your mind, Sof…I gave you space. Now you can have all the room you  
need. I'm not going to wait on you anymore."

Sofia stared at him, then made a frustrated noise and stomped to the door of his quarters. "You will regret this," she said, her voice  
faltering, but full of anger. "She is cheap and a poor replacement."

_Hiss, _the door sliding shut. Julian ran the bathroom and found Laura sitting on the toilet, with the towel still around her shoulders and her hair in soapy strings.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't—"

"What am I a poor replacement for, Julian?" she asked, puzzled.

"Don't mind that. She was angry." He leaned into the bathroom. "I'm sorry you, uh, saw that…I wasn't…she came onto me, alright?"

"Okay," Laura said, although she didn't understand half of what he said. She didn't understand a lot of what had just happened. From what she  
could gather, Sofia had wanted something from Julian, and he had said no, because of _her._

Where did that put her in the equation?

"Good." Julian reached out and touched her head. "Jesus! You're freezing. Get back in there." He pointed at the shower; Laura obeyed, and  
soon they were back in their respective places, as if nothing had occurred.


	4. wolf

**A/N: **Snff II will be addressed soon. I posted a bit about it on my blog, here's what I've decided to do: I am pulling the original Snff II story, because I don't feel right about the sudden change in narration. I couldn't finish the plot either, for the Snff universe...it didn't fit. Instead, I will be publishing a new Snff II fairly soon (I have 3 chaps written already and a fairly solid plot) that fits in much better with the feeling of the original Snff story. I may use what's up now for a story in the future (give it more introduction and an ending suitable). In the meantime, here's the long awaited fourth chapter of Cowpie II!! I also had a chance to sit down and construct a nice plotline for it, which always helps me write faster ;-) Right now, I have no chapters stashed up and put aside like a squirrel cache (as I do for the Helix story and mOBSCENE--which will also recieve an update soon), I'm putting all I've got up here for you, but more should come soon now that the plot is written.

**

* * *

****(Volume: 2 Chapter: 4)**

 **Chapter 4: ­wolf **

* * *

Laura touched the leaf in wonder. She'd followed Julian into a large, vast room—as far as she could see—filled with plants of every sort. Some she'd never  
seen before; a few were familiar; while there were some she wouldn't even have imagined before that moment, such beautiful, bright colors. Laura—a  
Quaker—didn't even know that those colors _existed_.

"You like it?" Julian asked uncertainly. It wasn't anything new to him—he'd been here millions of times, doing shifts in the gigantic plant-room of the  
ship. The basis of the habitation system. It was pleasant—the oxygen was best in this area for sure—but they were _plants. _

Laura didn't answer; she turned her head and saw another interesting plant—a palm tree—and hurried to it, her eyes large and questioning.

"That's from down south. Uh, where South _was_, on Earth. From the Caribbean. It's a coconut palm. Look, it has a couple up there." He pointed; Laura  
followed his finger and stared at the cluster; then she saw a brilliant, enormous magenta flower from the Savage Lands and she was off again.

Julian leaned against the trunk of the tree, folding his arms, and watched her as she touched the various plant leaves, stems and petals, her hair falling  
into her face constantly.

"Hey—" He realized that she'd disappeared and he hurried after the trail of still-swaying plants. "Stay close…this place is creepy."

A movement caught his eye—Laura was _in_ the tree, crouching on a stout branch, her eyes shifting back and forth around her. Julian left the ground and  
brought himself up to her height; she caught sight of him and let out a startled yelp, scrambling backwards.

"Oh—wait—Laura—" he realized he hadn't told her what his powers _were. _She leapt off the tree branch and disappeared into the tall grass field beyond the tree.

"LAURA! Come back!" he yelled, chasing after her. As he ran, he thought how, if he squinted, he could pretend he was back on earth, running in a sunny  
field. He knew it was really just the fluorescent lighting.

He finally caught up with her beside the small irrigation stream that had been set up to supply the network of pipes beneath the soil with water. It looked  
somewhat like a creek. Laura was kneeling on a large rock at the water's edge, peering in.

"I do not see any fish, Julian," she said, not looking up. She seemed distressed.

"There aren't any," he said apologetically. "Remember? The animals…"

Laura's face crumpled. "But…"

Julian was taken back to that moment, the horrible moment, in the original spacecraft, bloody and covered in soot from battle, when he'd sat at the table  
with the other X-men, the survivors—and watched the world die through the enormous window. Go up in a gigantic ball of flame, then crack apart, pieces  
breaking off and floating into space.

He'd never heard a more horrible sound in his life, not even Laura's voice (before her throat had healed). It was literally earth-shattering. What was left of  
Earth was a shriveled little ball of dust, death and charred skeletons—except for the parts that were _still_ on fire.

He sat down on the rock. "I know it's hard. I miss them, too. There wasn't room when it happened."

"When what happened?" Laura asked.

"When we lost the Earth," he said.

Laura tilted her head. "What is the 'Earth'? Mother said t'was soil."

Julian's face relaxed slightly into a smile. He'd just said about the most overwhelming thing _ever,_ and she didn't even know what it meant. Most people looked  
ready to pass out when they were reminded, but she just looked curious.

"The world," he said. "Soil…trees…animals…everything. And it wasn't flat, you know. The Earth was a round shaped globe, a circular shaped thing called a  
planet, that orbited the sun."

Laura knew what the sun was. "I know it wasn't. I've read the books of scholars that my father did heir to me. But the Sun does orbit the Earth," she said  
adamantly. "I know _that_ much, for certain. I have read the printed works of Copernicus and Galileo Galilei."

Julian put his hand on her ankle. "We've come a long way since then, Laura…trust me. If you want…if you're interested, I can get you some stuff to read,  
about what we know now. Would you like that?"

She paused. "Yes," she said fervently. He grinned. For a Quaker, she was quite open-minded; he could see her eyes glittering greedily at the thought of  
new knowledge to digest.

"I love you," he said, the first time he'd said it since the night they'd gotten drunk.

Laura's eyebrows drew together. "But…you said you were intoxicated, and did not mean what you said."

It took him a second to put two and two together. Suddenly he understood the slight reservation she'd displayed over the last week or so, the stiff posture,  
the uneasy glances at him—it was all very clear. It could be traced down to one stupid thing he'd said, that most girls would have thrown a tantrum over, but  
she'd stayed quiet and even let him have his way with her, all the while believing he didn't care.

"Oh, wow," he said, rubbing his neck. "I…I meant the shit I said about Sofia…not…really, I do care about you. Wait—you didn't get that?" He stared at her.

"I've been talking about, well, going through all this trouble so we can be together…I'm trying to get us _married, _for God's sakes, and you thought I didn't care?"

"I know you care," Laura said. "I did not know the context." She paused. "You might have felt…responsible…for me." She paused again, realizing something  
she was now able to do. "Please do not take the Lord's name in vain, Julian. It is sinful and disrespectful to Him that created us."

Julian snorted. "After what I've seen, Laura, I'm not afraid of God anymore," he said.

"Do you not believe?" Laura asked, her face pale.

"No," Julian said.

"…" Laura was aghast. "HEAVENS! You are…it is my Duty as a Christian to spread the word of our Lord unto—"

"Spare me," he said. "I've made my peace with my beliefs. I've always been more of a karma person anyhow. I just didn't realize we'd all been so bad…that  
was some massive bad karma back there."

Laura pursed her lips. "I cannot marry a heathen," she said. She didn't know what _karma _was, but it sounded like a Pagan belief.

Julian made a face "Ohhh, I guess you're not going to like my designation then," he groaned. "Well, forget it, I'm not changing it. People are used to calling  
me by it." He grinned slightly. "You're just going to have to respect my beliefs, as I've respected yours. I haven't stepped on _your _toes."

"You take the Lord's name in vain," Laura pointed out. "It is a sin."

"Everyone does that."

"That is why your Earth is gone!" Laura burst. "Your Sins! The Lord has Judged you!"

Julian's heart froze at the word—_judge. _

Phoenix. Phoenix had, indeed, judged the Earth and found it to be unworthy. It had told them that it burned away what did not work, and that Earth and its  
races did not work anymore. They had gotten away, and just as Phoenix had come for them, the Sh'iar had come for the Phoenix.

Phoenix was now hidden, locked in a flawless diamond egg, buried in the heart of a planet they did not know of, and that half the colony was on a mission to find.

The Shi'ar had been destroyed, consumed by the act of enclosing the Phoenix; as they'd drawn it from Jean Grey's body, they had informed Magneto and  
what had then been the X-men that the egg, in time, would reset the Phoenix, incubate it and erase its memories. The Phoenix would be born fresh, to a  
new host, and might create the world anew for them, seeing them as its children. That was how the Shi'ar prophecy went, anyway.

Now the fate of humanity and mutantkind basically depended upon finding the Phoenix egg.

Of course, nothing was ever simple: it could be anywhere in the universe, probably in a hot body—like the Sun (although it wasn't there; Beast had made sure  
of this with thermal scanning technology, as the Phoenix egg burned about ten million degrees hotter than the Sun)—and there were other challenges.

The Skrull had learned of the Phoenix egg, and they were now at war with the mutants, racing for the egg at the same time. The Phoenix egg held power for the  
beholder—the promise of a new, untrained, untainted God that might do whatever its rescuers asked of it would be tempting to _any _leader.

Skrulls had done horrible things to slow them down. They fought dirty. Julian had seen quite a bit, even though he hadn't been at the front of the battlefield. The  
Skrulls invaded, and he was usually left in charge of the home base. Defense.

That wasn't the only concern. Julian hadn't told Laura about the Reavers yet, and he didn't think he was going to. He couldn't speak about them in detail yet—he didn't  
know if he would ever be able to. They were too terrible. They were the source of his nightmares, the source of his near-death experiences, the cause of something  
quite terrible--and the reason Frost had had to mentally operate on him, then hand-train him into a newer, colder person, who felt less. To salvage whatever was  
left after the lobotomy.

The Reavers.

"No, Laura," he said, "I don't think there's a God. At least not the one you believe in. I know there's a being with god-like powers…but not a true God. And nothing  
you say is going to change that thought." He patted her ankle again. "And I do love you, really. I'm sorry you ever thought I didn't."

Laura was silent. Then…"Do not concern yourself over it," she said mildly.

**…  
**

"Are you _serious?_" Cessily gasped, stopping behind the table that Julian and Laura sat at, having seen him lean over and pat her knee. "You guys are  
_together? _But what about—"

"Sit down," Julian said. "And don't broadcast my private life to the whole cafeteria, please and thank-you." He eyed across the room; Sofia was sitting with some  
of her Squad, her back towards him. Cessily's eyes followed his glance.

"Sorry," she grumbled, shoving her tray onto the table and then promptly planting her behind on the bench. "So? _So?_"

"Yes," he said.

"What about—_her?!_" Cessily whispered, looking over at Sofia again.

"What _about_ her?" Julian retorted. "I think it was over even before this…I can't believe I lied to myself for so long. I guess it was fear—I mean, if I let go of her, there  
aren't many other choices, are there? And—" his look said it all. He was talking about the Reavers.

Cessily knew about the Reavers. She reached over and patted his shoulder. She knew why he was desperate not to be alone, why he surrounded himself with  
friends and made sure he had a partner at all times; the treatments Frost had subjected him to—in order to fix the Reaver problem—had been so severe that he  
was terrified of closing himself off completely.

The alternative had been much worse. Everyone, including Julian, was thankful that Frost had been able to fix him. For a while there had been little hope.

Laura gazed across the cafeteria, but she was listening. She had sensed the undertones, felt Julian's body tense through the metal of the table. There was  
something neither was telling her; a secret.

She, however, was not unfamiliar with dark secrets, and was not eager to discover whatever it was that Julian was hiding.

**…  
**

Julian blinked blearily. It was late at night, and he was on Ship 21, the appointments ship, to request permission for an interview with General Magneto. He had the  
papers, and the money; it was a large sum, a thousand dollars. Julian had plenty of money. The problem was, it wasn't worth much anymore. This service would also  
cost him honor, which was the primary money system that had been created. Honor was earned by work; military positions earned more than the lower-class  
colonization unit, and for every Skrull killed, there was a bonus. Julian had less honor than money, but still enough, having spent little of his substantial earnings  
as a Captain over the years.

He was leaning against a pillar, in a line-up of refugees, colonists, and militia, all holding paperwork and bags, looking bored and tired as well. Many looked starved,  
as there were great food shortages. Especially Ship 41; a section of irrigation had failed due to improper maintenance, and the entire ship had suffered a famine.  
Some had died. Julian knew the person responsible for the famine would have been hunted down and executed; it was a valuable ship.

Ships weren't allowed to share food.

"Arf! Arf!" A dog, a small black Yorkshire Terrier, ran by him, and for a moment he didn't react. Then he physically turned around to watch the dog go by, as did everyone else.

Some people watched it very hungrily, then a man burst out of the lineup, his claw-like fingertips extended.

"Cool your jets!" A boy, about fourteen, was running after the dog. He scooped the dog—a puppy, really—up. "He's not real. He's a Stark." This was the term used  
for any invention by the secondary master inventor.

Julian looked at his time-piece and wondered if he'd have time.

**…  
**

The stamped request receipt (printed on nylon fibers) stashed safely in his pocket, Julian approached the door uncertainly.

It opened at the third buzz.

"DESIGNATION?" the robot demanded, its jaws snapping in his face. "The secondary master inventor doesn't like interruptions, you know!"

"Captain Keller," Julian said firmly. "It's important."

The robot blinked its metal shutters (eyelids), then the door opened; he followed the robot down the corridor, his eyes twitching from side to side to take in the  
marvels inside. If the technology of the ships were impressive, it was nothing compared to this paradise of invention.

There was Stark, bent over a small robotic skeleton, sparks flying from a welding tool. "YES?" he demanded in an agitated tone, not looking up.

"I hear you can make dogs," Julian said, his arms folded.

Stark looked up at this, and saw his uniform. His gaze hardened. Stark had a penchant for not caring much for the mutant militia. General Magneto had allowed  
him to live because of his wonderful inventions, had even made him second-master-inventor, but he had put a mutant—Forge—in charge.

"They're more expensive than you could afford, boy." Stark said acidly.

"Then how was a refugee running around with one?" Julian demanded.

"Because I gave it to him. Now get out, _Captain._" He lit his welding torch again.

"It's not for me," Julian said. "It's a long story, but it's for a Quaker girl."

He knew this would make Stark pay attention. Indeed, the inventor gave him an extremely puzzled look. "What—a _Quaker? _What are you on about?" Suddenly  
his agitated look disapitated as realization dawned. "KELLER! You're the one who underwent temporal displacement and brought someone here!"

"Yes," Julian said. "She's confused, and scared, but she really likes dogs. She cried when she found out the animals were gone. I thought, maybe, that you could make her one."

Stark raised his eyebrows. "Why did you bring her back?" he asked.

"It was almost worse were she came from, I'm not kidding. I didn't have a choice at all; it was worse than death. It would have been equal to…" his voice trailed  
off, but Stark got his meaning.

"Son of a bitch," he said.

"Yeah," Julian said again, shifting.

Stark leaned back. "What kind of dog?"

"A wolf," Julian said. "I want you to make a wolf for her. Something like the ones found in Salem, Massachusetts around the 1600's."

Stark stared. "—Salem!" he said.

"Yeah," Julian said again.

Stark pondered. "It'd be complicated. Lots of research—I'd have to program it—a wolf, _really_? A domesticated one, right?"

"No," Julian said. "Something she can train."

"Hmm." Stark considered this. "I guess if I make a puppy it would work. They grow, you know…you feed them special food and the robots build themselves in perfect  
simulation of a growing dog. They're very sophisticated—I made one for Lieutenant General Wolverine, who has enhanced senses. He said he can barely tell the difference."

"That's what I need," Julian said instantly. "Make it just like a real wolf. She'd love it to death, I'm not kidding."

Stark rubbed his chin. "On one condition."

"What would that be?" Julian asked. Before, he would have said _anything, _but he knew to be wary now. He knew better, much better.

"You bring her here, when the wolf is ready," Stark said.

"Deal," Julian said.


	5. prayer

**Chapter 5: prayer  
**

* * *

Laura sat on the edge of the bed, her head bent over the metallic tablet in her palm, as she read the text on the screen. She occasionally scrolled it further down with her finger in a stroking motion.

She had already spent time admiring the device, and asking questions about how it worked. She'd been instructed, by Julian, to read the text; and had also been informed that she would be tested on the knowledge later.

As far as she could tell, the document detailed information about the present circumstances, to bring a new recruit up to date. It did little to satisfy _her_ curiosity, as she was so far behind on modern technology to begin with.

The language appeared to be very simplified compared to the text she was used to reading. Some words she did not understand. When she arrived at a picture of a brown globular-shaped _thing_—covered in a criss-cross of molten lava and patches of fire—she observed it for a while, horrified. This must be a picture of hell.

Underneath was the caption: _Earth._

_**BZZZT!**_

Laura got to her feet and shuffled toward the door, still holding the tablet. She reached out and pressed a button; the metal door slid open smoothly, and she found herself face-to-face with Julian, who looked happy.

"The request is in," he said, leaning on the doorframe. "Next step…we see the General. If all goes well, we can have a proper ceremony and get the paper we need."

Laura tilted her head. "The certificate," she said.

"Yeah." Julian also tilted his head, then leaned in closer and pressed his lips against hers for a moment. "How are you settling in? Got any more questions?"

Laura hesitated, and smiled. "Aye…many questions." She looked down at the tablet in her palm; and then at him, questioningly. "This…"

"Looks pretty grim, doesn't it?" Julian asked, the happiness fading from his expression.

Her eyebrows drew together. "Did…"

"That picture was taken from space…a week after it happened." His voice sounded flat.

Laura looked back down at the picture. "It cannot be real," she said. "God would not allow for this to happen. His beautiful creation."

Julian sighed, rubbed his forehead. "Do you want to _see_ it?" he asked.

She hesitated, then nodded. He took her by the hand and pulled her down the hallway, the door closing automatically behind them.

**…**

"There, see?" Julian placed his finger, on the glass. Against the area of darkness a brown planet occupied, its surface cracked, and in some areas, bright orange.

Obviously devoid of life.

Laura put her hand on the glass, her thickly fringed eyes moving back and forth. "I still cannot believe it."

"Most of us are still trying to wrap our minds around it," he said, softly. They were on the observation deck; the part of the ship that pointed forward, if they ever flew it anywhere. Beyond the earth was a deep field of stars, much closer looking than they had been on the planet. Julian remembered lying in a field—with Laura after they had been together the first time—and thinking how much less frightening they had looked when a layer of ozone existed between him and their raw beauty.

Laura looked up at him, as if reading his mind; for a moment he wonders if she _had. _

"Your scent…it changed," she murmured.

"Oh." Julian flushed slightly. "Forgot you could _smell_ me. I was thinking about…well…that time in the clearing."

Her eyes widened. "You mean…my moon time." She made the sign of the cross over her chest; much more odd looking now that she wore a uniform like his instead of a Quaker's dress.

"Don't do that." Julian caught her fingers. "'Moon' time?"

"I do not want to speak of this." She gazed at him, then reached out with her free hand and cupped his chin. "You have not shorn your beard."

Julian grinned, at the odd word; she slipped her thumb into the dimple caused. A moment later he pinned her against the wall and began to kiss her, in a deeper and slower manner than before. She let him do so.

"_Ahem." _

They stopped at the noise, and Julian looked over his shoulder. "Sofia."

"Julian."

Silence. He leaned away from Laura, who watched them, uncertain.

"Could I speak with you for a moment?" Sofia asked.

"Sure."

"_Alone." _

Julian gave Laura an apologetic glance, then followed the other girl out, to the hallway leading to the observation deck.

_"Julian, you should not engage in public displays of affection." _

"_You're jealous." _

A pause. Laura wondered if they knew she could hear.

_"Perhaps. I do not understand why you like her better than me."_

"Sof…it's not that…you're a great girl. I couldn't wait anymore."

Pause. _"I'll always care about you…but that place is filled, okay?" _

A sniffle. Sofia started to cry. Laura looked down, uncertain.

"_Hey, don't." _Rustles. "_Don't cry. There's someone else for you."_

"N-no there isn't."

Sofia's voice lowered to a whisper. _"I want _you._" _

Silence.

Laura looked up at the stars and leaned on the railing. She closed her eyes, and thought of her God, of her world of animals and trees and grass, and of the way she, too, had felt there would be no one else for her, when Julian had resisted her.

She understood Sofia, and felt her pain; and suddenly didn't feel as angry at her as she had once been. Her lips moved as she whispered the Mennonite Disciple's Prayer:

"Abba Father God, bless your holy name. Let your reign come now, let your desires be carried out. Bring your peace to birth, as in heav'n, so on Earth. Give us bread, daily; free us, as we free. When the way is hard, be our guide and guard. Your rule, power; and praise reign supreme, always."

In the background, she heard Julian murmur something to the other girl.

"Guide her, please," she mouthed, then opened her eyes and looked at the mass of death she used to know as her world.

"And guide us."

Laura heard footsteps at the entry to the Observation deck.

"Who are you talking to?" Julian asked.

"The Lord," Laura said calmly.

"I had my pick of the ladies, and I _always_ pick the religious type," he said, moving closer. "Maybe I like corrupting you, or something."

She looked at him, alarmed; he grinned. "It was a _joke._"

"This joke is thy version of a jest?" she asked cautiously.

"Something like that." He put his arm around her waist, and gazed into the distance, then shuddered. "C'mon…let's go back to the rooms. A man could lose himself out here if he looks too long."

"Aye." Laura nodded. "My father once told me that the stars are the souls of the lost and departed. Gazing into them might tempt them too hardily."

"That's a creepy thought." Julian guided her towards the hallway. "I thought you believed in heaven, and hell…and all that."

"I do," Laura said. "Somehow, though, I think he was right. Perhaps not all of the soul goes away, at death. The stars are too beautiful to be just clouds of _gas_, as the literature thou gave to me described."

"I love the way you talk," Julian said.

"I do not speak in a distinctive manner."

"Oh yes you _do._" He now directed her back towards her quarters. "Makes me want to shower you with kisses all over."

"'Kisses'?" Laura asked. He punched in the code to her door, and they entered, the door shutting swiftly behind them.

"This." He pressed his lips against her again, then reached out and took the tab of her front zipper between his fingers. Her eyes closed, then opened wide as he pulled the fastener down, exposing her skin.

A few minutes later, he was backing her towards the sleeping platform, and her skin was covered in goose bumps. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her expression shy and inquisitive. He began to wonder just how much she remembered of the two experiences they'd shared. Anything? Both had taken place during times of various influences; once when she was drunk, and another—on her insistence—during a time she might have not been thinking with a clear head, given that she _was_ running with a pack of hunting wolves.

"You're so kissable," he whispered, feeling her stop as they reached the platform. She smiled; he laid her down gently and began to roll her uniform off her shoulders, revealing smooth skin. As he worked his way down her front, she began to breathe heavier; he'd almost reached his main destination when it happened.

_**CAPTAIN KELLER, PRIVATE KINNEY. TO MY OFFICE, AT ONCE. **_

"Aah!" Laura yelped, sitting up slightly and looking around.

"Got to be kidding me," Julian said, closing his eyes. "Alright. We have to go."

"N-now?" she asked, her gaze turning to him. "But…we are…I am not sure how to describe this," she looked flustered.

"It's called sex, Laura," he said. "Or we would have had it, if Frost wouldn't just barge into brains whenever she wants…even though we're off-duty." He got to his feet, then held his hand out to the girl on the bed; after a moment of hesitation, she pulled the sleeves of her uniform back on, re-zipped it, and let him help her up.

**…**

"Took you long enough," Frost said, not looking up from her papers. "_Sit._"

Julian pulled out a chair and offered it to Laura; she accepted it, and sat down. He shortly followed suite, and looked at his commander-slash-teacher.

"What is it? _Ma'am?" _

"You will speak when ordered, Captain," the woman said, her voice hard. "I have come to a decision about Private Kinney's place in our enterprise."

Julian stiffened. The moment he'd been afraid of.

The girl beside him sensed his agitation, and felt mildly bothered as well. She wasn't certain if she _liked_ Frost yet or not. The woman was far different from the Quakers she had grown up with. All the females on the vessel were, but she in particular was so fundamentally against everything her culture stood for. Imagine, a woman in a position of command!

"I have decided against placing her on the Earth Colonization unit," Frost said.

Julian visibly relaxed.

"She will, instead, be placed on the new unit that General Magneto has ordered me to create." Frost fixed her former student and protégé with a cold look. "This unit will travel far and wide in search of habitable worlds, while keeping one main destination as its charted course: a search for the Phoenix Egg."

"You _can't!_" Julian seemed to explode, his expression one of alarm.

"Lieutenant-General Wolverine will command this expedition." Frost continued to examine the young man, no sympathy in her features.

"She hasn't had any training!" He shouted. "You can't send her off like this! She—"

"It comes to my attention—since you make a point of bringing it up so often—that you do not have a posting, Captain." Frost leaned forward, her elbows on the table and her hands clasped in front of her. "I have decided to give you one."

"Miss Frost—"

"Commander Frost."

"I'm imploring you…_please!_ Don't! I don't want the post—I don't want _anything_ if you're going to make it so that I—"

"Am I to take it, Keller, that you do not want the posting?"

"No way in hell!" Julian folded his arms.

"I will inform General Magneto, then." Frost paused, and a hint of a smile crossed her lips. "Pity. I thought you would have made an excellent First Officer. You could learn a lot from Wolverine, you know."

Julian stared at his mentor. "Wha—_I'm _going, too?"

Frost nods. "You will embark in three weeks from today. This should give plenty of time for preparations. Wolverine will be arriving soon, to make choices for the rest of your crew; you should also be able to tie up any loose ends you may have." She eyed her student, and he remembered his scheduled appearance with the General.

"Should do it," Julian said.

"The ship will be much smaller than these vessels. _Much _smaller. And _much _faster. The idea is that you very well may have opportunities to get out and stretch your legs, therefore not requiring such a large permanent habitat." Frost raised her eyebrows. "The craft is very impressive. Forge has truly outdone himself."

"But—what about energy, for the engines? And food?"

"I am sure you will be briefed with the ship schematics in due course, Keller. I will summon you to my office again when the Lieutenant-General arrives. Dismissed, Keller, Kinney."

Julian zipped out as if shot from a spring; Laura followed him, a little more slowly. Outside the door, he was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. "Holy crap! I can't believe it! This is _awesome! _This is going to kick _so_ much ass, Laura!"

Laura raised her eyebrows imploringly.

"Sorry. I'm really excited." He put his hands on her waist. "We stay together. And…I'm in charge! Well, second in charge…but still. _And_ we get to see a lot of really cool stuff! Different planets…there might even be animals, Laura!"

She stopped. "Animals? Like my wolves? And cows?"

Julian shuddered at the mention of cows. "No cows, please. If an Earth-cow is freaky…a space cow has got to be hella creepy. Probably a meat-eater."

Laura smiled slightly.

"I don't know if they'd be the same. But it'd be _something,_right?" He looked so enthusiastic, so hopeful that she would be pleased by this, that she nodded. He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes.

"Got to tell Cess, and Santo! Come _on!_" He grabbed her by the wrist and broke into a run, pulling her behind him.


End file.
